1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates generally to exercising tools and more specifically it relates to a twist and flex upper body shaping exercise device.
Exercise and physical fitness are obviously necessary for athletes, soldiers, firemen, and all those whose jobs require high levels of physical performance. Then why should a sedentary person living in a comfortable, industrialized society exercise?
Medical and health professionals have determined that everyone, depending on the individual's metabolism, has a minimum level of physical activity that must be maintained to prevent serious physical deterioration. The human body and all of its parts, like any living organism, must be used or they atrophy. The loss of structure and function that occurs when a broken arm is immobilized in a cast clearly demonstrates what happens when body parts are not exercised and used.
Basic survival once required the output of enormous physical energy by people on many levels of society. Modern technology has simplified life's physical demands in various ways. Machines from washing machines to automobiles and elaborate industrial equipment have reduced the amount of labor required of people.
In more primitive times most individuals burned up the calories gained from the food they consumed through the rigors of their daily activities. This is no longer true for most people, particularly those living in industrialized nations.
Many people have retained their capacity for physical work. Even those who have been physically inactive for a long time can restore lost physical capability with just a month or two of daily physical training. People who exercise and reach their near-maximum physical capability can maintain it by exercising vigorously on alternate days.
Physical fitness and exercise are important for good physical and mental health, including weight control. Exercise helps the individual develop and maintain a strong self-image and a sense of emotional balance. As a person gets older, exercise becomes more important because after age thirty the heart's blood pumping capacity declines at a rate of about eight percent each decade.
Exercise is also important for children. Vigorous physical activity aids in a child's overall development so he or she reaches optimal size and functional capacities in adulthood. Current research shows that exercise can reduce the accumulation of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and cholesterol on artery walls of children and adults. Excess cholesterol can increase the risk of heart disease. There is, however, no evidence that exercise prolongs life. Former athletes do not live longer than non-athletes, nor are they saved from heart disease. The benefits of exercise cannot be sustained for more than a few months or years without continued exercise. Even Olympic-level athletes will regress rapidly to pre-training levels once they stop exercising. The amount of activity necessary for fitness varies from person to person. Age, physical structure, health, and gender are contributing factors.
Most common forms of exercise, such as bicycling and swimming, rarely cause serious injury. But contact sports, such as football and judo, can cause wear on the joints that can lead to articular disease, or joint problems. The problem for most beginners is over exercise. Many people experience stiffness after the first day of exercise, but this is harmless and does not last long. People who are overweight, past middle age, or who suffer from heart disease should consult a physician before starting any exercise program. Sometimes children who are involved in competitive sports suffer from muscle and joint problems.
Today's sedentary man who is past age 30 begins to think about fitness for his survival as he sees his older friends, who are in their forties, die of heart attacks. Some researchers estimate that people who maintain a moderately high level of physical activity can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by about a third. Exercise also aids in eliminating such other conditions as obesity and high blood pressure, which are amount the cause of heart disease.
To achieve maximum cardiovascular benefits from aerobic exercise, exercise professionals recommend elevating the heartbeat to approximately seventy percent of the individual's maximum heart rate. Once that elevated rate is achieved during exercise, continue exercising to maintain the rate for thirty minutes. This regime should be repeated three times each week.
To calculate the maximum heart rate, an individual should subtract his or her age from 220. Multiply the remainder by seventy percent. For example, a forty year old woman subtracts 40 from 220 for a maximum heartbeat rate of 180. Multiplying 180 by 0.7 tells her that she should exercise to elevate her heartbeat to 126 beats per minute and maintain that rate of 126 per minute for thirty minutes three times a week. The seventy percent figure is an average. The range is sixty to eighty percent. Older people, or those just starting an exercise program will aim for the sixty percent level, while more active individuals who are more physically fit will strive to reach eighty.
The person who has been idle for years does not benefit from a crash attempt to make up for lost years of exercise by an exhaustive regimen. This can do more harm than good. Exercise can be harmful in various circumstances, particularly if people overexert themselves or do not perform the exercises correctly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous exercising tools have been provided in prior art that are adapted to be made for use by adults and children to promote good heath and body-building. While these units may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.